Polden, kofeynya

«Polden» is tucked away in a courtyard off Pokrovka — in a mansion with tall windows, hidden through an archway between buildings on Chistoprudny Boulevard. The coffee shop opened in October 2021 and immediately drew crowds: in its first two weeks it saw three thousand visitors. Behind the project is a team connected to the Veter marketplace, whose store operates one floor up in the same building. The menu is built around a simple idea: twelve dishes served all day, with no divide between breakfast and lunch. Chef Maksim Apletov has bet on straightforward food — avocado toast, eggs with asparagus, syrniki, green buckwheat with pesto and parmesan, crab dogs, potato pancakes. Coffee and tea aren't an afterthought either: the menu includes matcha, Tibetan apple tea, and signature lattes with cherry and hibiscus. The interior was designed by Halo Bureau, the studio also behind the «Salyut» bar on Pushkinskaya. The result is Scandinavian minimalism with warm wooden accents: a wall-length shelf holding books from the now-closed «Khodasevich» bookstore, ceramics by local makers, and records in the corner. Tables can't be reserved in advance — the place operates on a walk-in basis only. The easiest way to get to the coffee shop is from Chistye Prudy, Turgenevskaya, or Sretensky Bulvar metro stations — all within walking distance of 23 Chistoprudny Boulevard, Building 2.